GTI Clubsport.....Can't be long now

[volkswizard]

Bulletins and press statements are all very well, Porsche suggested they would bring 200x Cayman GT4 into the UK, that has become 600.
The example I mentioned of 800 more ED30 being built than initially proposed, shows VW are not immune to "extra" production.

It may well be only 1000 produced for the UK, the only way to know is wait and see...?

Don't think all this Clubsport S press activity is to increase demand for a car you can't buy - it's to boost sales of the next best thing, the Clubsport Edition 40 which you can.

Was it a CS or CSS you are getting in the end?  Didn't quite catch that.

It's a CSS

[volkswizard]

What spec you gone for?

Clubsport s standard in deep black. Apparently options were possible but didn't manage to work out how.

Only options were colour (if you were lucky) and a/c delete.
Autocar erroneously banged on about upgrading the nav in their road test but this was incorrect.

[volkswizard]

apologies to all, cs116 is grey

https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-reviews/volkswagen-golf-gti-clubsport-s-2016-review-two-minute-road-test

Good spot, I can now rest 

So one prototype is grey and the other has black wheels, neither of which you can get on a production car 

[scanesare]

It's a CSS

Nice. Pitty you're not in Sweden... would be interesting to see how the two cars actually matched up on track. VW Sweden offers  a driving course to Clubsport buyers but I haven't seen any CSS owner joining (or existing) so far.

[TurboTrev]

Anyone know whether the Clubsport brochure that you can download, was ever available as a hard copy from VW?  Thanks.

[Clubsport S]

apologies to all, cs116 is grey

https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-reviews/volkswagen-golf-gti-clubsport-s-2016-review-two-minute-road-test

Good spot, I can now rest 

So one prototype is grey and the other has black wheels, neither of which you can get on a production car 

Yes seems odd to have options on cars which are not available to select. But perhaps it is only the UK cars where spec is limited.

Did you get to choose your colour? Is it that they are only bringing to the UK a certain number of each colour?

I would have chosen the black wheels if I could 

[volkswizard]

apologies to all, cs116 is grey

https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-reviews/volkswagen-golf-gti-clubsport-s-2016-review-two-minute-road-test

Good spot, I can now rest 

So one prototype is grey and the other has black wheels, neither of which you can get on a production car 

Yes seems odd to have options on cars which are not available to select. But perhaps it is only the UK cars where spec is limited.

Did you get to choose your colour? Is it that they are only bringing to the UK a certain number of each colour?

I would have chosen the black wheels if I could 

Easy enough to have the wheels repainted.
I think they went with silver wheels because it looks OK on all the colours, black on a black car isn't to everyone's taste and giving a choice was obviously too much grief.

I didn't get a colour choice and it's hard to be sure why unless the bodyshells are painted already and awaiting build (unlikely).
It wouldn't surprise me if they pre-decided on the colours as that's in keeping with giving zero options and I am surprised that black was as popular as white pretty much considering it's not been on a press CS or CSS.

The a/c delete option had to be there so you could spec a car like the 'ring record one.

Red and white look great but I'm happy with black because I do want a bit of stealth.

[volkswizard]

It's a CSS

Nice. Pitty you're not in Sweden... would be interesting to see how the two cars actually matched up on track. VW Sweden offers  a driving course to Clubsport buyers but I haven't seen any CSS owner joining (or existing) so far.

All things being equal I can't see how the CSS can't be significantly quicker than the CS seeing as they went to a lot of effort for the 'ring record.  Did the CS set a time?
I know the 'ring is a unique circuit as it's bumpy and twisty but more negative camber, better power to weight ratio and more effective brakes should help on faster circuits too.

Auto Express test against CTR would be interesting as CS was beaten by it a few months back, will CSS be any better?

[scanesare]

All things being equal I can't see how the CSS can't be significantly quicker than the CS seeing as they went to a lot of effort for the 'ring record.  Did the CS set a time?
I know the 'ring is a unique circuit as it's bumpy and twisty but more negative camber, better power to weight ratio and more effective brakes should help on faster circuits too.

Auto Express test against CTR would be interesting as CS was beaten by it a few months back, will CSS be any better?

Well the CSS should be quicker but I mean I'd like to see just how much on a track, driven merely by enthusiasts. When you say equal I imagine you mean same PSC2 tyres (which are not standard on the CS) and VW's deliberate CS detune ditched and a healthy 300-310ps available? Hmm... I don't think there'd be that much but I may just have the chance to find out at some point 

Reason I believe this is how similar the cars are (basically the CSS "sits" by 90%+ on an already great CS chassis and setup) and that German motorsport magazines have already published some rather interesting lap times about the CS. Conclusion was that when on the same tyres as the CSS (Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2) it seems it's not as slow as AutoExpress tried to present it (for whatever reasons). You have to remember that test (if you can call that a test) was done on stock Bridgestones and it woudn't surprise me if it was even worse than 2.5" as they are that bad  a tyre for sports driving. Definitely not representative of the car's potential. But change to MPSC2 (as in the CSS) or even MPSS and here's what happens:


Hockenheimring:

CSS: 1:13,1
CS (on MPSC2): 1:14,2
Cupra: 1:14,7
CTR: 1:15:9


Nordschleife done by Auto Motor und Sport reviewers:

CSS: 07:58
CS (on MPSC2): 08:07
Cupra: 08:14
CTR: 08:15

[scanesare]

The way I look at these these lap times I think that the differences between the CS and its non CSS competitors are so small that it boils to the driver's skills. CSS should still be quicker but if you then match the power (nobody has done that yet) I think it'd be a very small gap.

And actually you don't even need a remap. A remap on these engines means 360-370bhp and 500Nm of torque that completely takes it to another level (there's nearly +100bhp gain in the mid range). A minor boost increase to 300-310bhp which is in fact the engine's stock output on every other car it's used (R/S3/CSS) can't possibly be considered a remap (warranties aside).

Of course if you're going to do it, better do it right from the beginning